1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a weather strip and a method for manufacturing the weather strip. More specifically, the invention relates to a flocked weather strip and a method for manufacturing the same weather strip.
2. Related Art
In general, a weather strip is provided along a peripheral portion of a door of a vehicle such as an automobile or a circumferential portion of a door opening of a vehicle body. As an example of a weather strip, there is known, for example, a weather strip which includes a trim portion having a substantially U-shaped cross section which is mounted on the peripheral portion of the door or a flange formed along the circumferential portion of the door opening and a hollow seal portion which is provided so as to protrude from the trim portion. Then, when the door is closed, the seal portion is brought into press contact with the circumferential portion of the door opening or the peripheral portion of the door so as to establish a seal between the door and the vehicle body.
In recent years, since the same external appearance quality as that of an interior decorative component such as a fabric is also demanded for an external surface of a weather strip, that is, a portion of the weather strip such as a designed surface or a seal surface thereof which becomes visible such that the weather strip is mounted accordingly, there exists a weather strip in which a fabric is attached to an external surface of the weather strip so as to realize an increase in the design properties thereof (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Publication NO. JP-B-6-104343). When attaching the fabric to the weather strip, however, normally, in order to prevent the fabric from interrupting the deformation of the seal portion when the door is closed, an adhesive is applied to the external surface of the seal portion, so that the external surface of the seal portion is prevented from adhering to the fabric.
In a case where the external surface of the seal portion is prevented from adhering to the fabric, however, when the weather strip is mounted on the circumferential portion of the door opening or the like, the fabric does not follow the deformation of the seal portion in a corner or the like, and there may be caused a risk that wrinkles are produced in the fabric.
On the contrary, in case the external surface of the seal portion is made to adhere to the fabric, since the seal portion is made difficult to be deformed, there is caused a fear that the sealing properties are reduced.
Further more, there have been developed weather strips in which an increase in their design properties is realized by flocking is applied to the designed surface of the trim portion (refer to, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. JP-54-79613U).
In the related art, however, since flocking is applied to the trim portion which constitutes a substrate (or a base material) so that pile fibers adhere almost vertically to the trim portion by an electrostatic flock machining, only a uniform appearance is provided. And the uniform appearance looks artificial, no natural feeling such as the fabric and a textile etc. being able to be felt. In addition, although flocking has been proposed which provides an irregular effect on the surface of the trim portion, it has still been difficult to produce the natural feeling in the fabric or the textile.